Spare wheel or tyre repair kit?

[quodec]

Do you know which one is in the boot of your car? I've asked a few people over the past few weeks and a couple of them didn't even know! I've changed many tyres in 40+ years of driving and all my cars have had a full-size spare or a space-saver tyre but now, when a car I'm considering purchasing this month has only the sealant and electric pump, I'm not sure what way to go! I know one guy who purchased a spare just to have it in the boot. Have any of you ever used the sealant kit - or are you just hoping you never have a flat tyre while driving?

[peasant]

The current car (for the last 3 1/2 years) is the first one without some form of spare...sealing kit only.

It does make me slightly nervous, I have to say.

Having said that...in the previous 30+ years of driving I needed a spare tyre once (ONCE !)...considering that I lugged a spare about 10 times round the earth for that one time ...seems a bit excessive really

Also, the latest car sprung a slow leak on one tyre one day ..still made it to the next tyre service to get it plugged without having to use the sealant.

So I'm slowly making my peace with the sealant kit ...and more importantly, the compressor that comes with it

[490808]

Hmmmmm, both and a manually operated foot pump.

I use the sealant on off road garden equipment and swear by it. Not so keen on the temporary stuff although it seems to be much the same.

[marhay70]

Do you know which one is in the boot of your car? I've asked a few people over the past few weeks and a couple of them didn't even know! I've changed many tyres in 40+ years of driving and all my cars have had a full-size spare or a space-saver tyre but now, when a car I'm considering purchasing this month has only the sealant and electric pump, I'm not sure what way to go! I know one guy who purchased a spare just to have it in the boot. Have any of you ever used the used the sealant kit - or are you just hoping you never have a flat tyre while driving?

Insist on a spare wheel. I bought a new car in August and the plan was to sell it to me with just a sealant kit but I insisted on a spare wheel and just as well. Within a month I had two punctures one of which was a sidewall puncture against which the sealant would have been about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike. For some reason the sales team were of the opinion that tyres today are virtually indestructible which of course is nonsense and just a sales gimmick, but fortunately I'm too long in the tooth and have heard too many tall tales, to listen to such bullshit.
On another point, make sure the spare wheel they give you will fit in the boot as a lot of cars today only have a well designed for a space saver wheel.

[kadman]

Lidl are selling car stuff tomorrow. Small compressors handheld, jump leads, and jump start packs ect.

I would opt for a spare wheel, but carry 2 cans of spray repair if you get stuck out in bad weather, or on the motorway.
AS well as the spare. Its an old scout thing " be prepared" dib,dib,dib.

[peasant]

The thing is ...not only do you need to get a spare tyre, but also a proper jack and a wheelbrace...because the sealing kit contains none of that either

[CelticRambler]

Wouldn't be without a real tyre as a spare for the camper - generally count on having one flat every three years or so, and as they're biiiiiig tyres, they're not usually available off the shelf. Am hoping last month's flat is the current "once every three years" incident, but in that case it was just a dodgy valve, and the tyre responded well enough to road-side inflation to get me off the autobahn and into a tyre shop.

Have a full-size tyre in the Mégane aswell, but have never had to use it. Wouldn't be without it though, as I had a run of punctures on the Volvo before it (usually with a full complement of children inside, waiting to get somewhere else).

Lidl are selling car stuff tomorrow. Small compressors handheld, jump leads, and jump start packs ect.

Are their 12V compressors any good? Saw one for 15€ a couple of weeks ago and thought ... meh, Lidl? ... then saw a Scheppach 12/240V on special in my usual supermarket, reduced from 89€ to 54€ ... but still I thought ... meh, Scheppach? I do need to replace my ancient Halfords compressor, though. With something that can handle 5.5bar.

[Hairy-Joe]

A family member was buying a new car. One model was immediately discounted as it came with a pump/can of moose rather than a proper spare wheel.

When ordering the camper, I ticked the box to add a proper full size spare wheel rather than the pump/can of moose that comes with Ducatos as standard

[CelticRambler]

it came with a ... can of moose

Is the can of moose to keep you alive while you wait for a tow-truck?

Sorry, couldn't resist.



Not quite a hefty as a moose, but I had a magnificent herd of boar cross my path this afternoon. About ten of them in tight formation, galloping in a perfect straight line ... Anyway, hitting even one of them usually needs the tow truck rather than roadside repair.

[marhay70]

The reason usually given for including a sealant kit rather than a spare wheel is the bandwagon excuse of "emissions". I wonder if anybody who bought a car which usually comes with a sealant kit, and subsequently added a spare wheel has had that car fail an NCT on emissions.
The real reason, as we all know, is cost

[Hairy-Joe]

Is the can of moose to keep you alive while you wait for a tow-truck?

Sorry, couldn't resist.



Not quite a hefty as a moose, but I had a magnificent herd of boar cross my path this afternoon. About ten of them in tight formation, galloping in a perfect straight line ... Anyway, hitting even one of them usually needs the tow truck rather than roadside repair.

Brain fart or autocorrect. You can decide.....

[CJhaughey]

I thought Ducato's came with a spare that winches up under the rear of the van? Mine has a spare wheel no bottle of gunk.
My Honda Accord came with a compressor and a bottle of expired sealant, I kept them and added a 16" spare that works on the back wheel.
I've had the misfortune to have a lot of punctures over the years, some repairable but many were not, the last one was a 2" slit in the tyre.
The one before that was a 1/2" hole from some road debris. If I was relying on a bottle of magic goo I'd have been in trouble.

[CrowdedHouse]

Nothing - run flat tyres.
Not even a cheapo spanner to check the wheel nuts.

[Hairy-Joe]

Spare wheels in Ducatos depends on the spec. Most "ordinary" vans have the spare under the back. However, on all of the Ducato Campers I've had, there's been no spare wheel as standard, even on van conversions. The gunk/compressor fits into the door pocket.

[Hairy-Joe]

Just thinking, when was the last time you checked the tyre pressure of the spare?

[quodec]

Just thinking, when was the last time you checked the tyre pressure of the spare?

Yep Joe, this happened me on Christmas Eve. Got a puncture and when I put the space saver tyre on it was nearly flat as well. Just made it to a garage and no more!. If your checking your tyres for air - and you have a spare tyre - check it too!!!

[490808]

Yep Joe, this happened me on Christmas Eve. Got a puncture and when I put the space saver tyre on it was nearly flat as well. Just made it to a garage and no more!. If your checking your tyres for air - and you have a spare tyre - check it too!!!

Or keep a small pump in the car?

I have a traditional foot pump which can't really go wrong but even the cheapest Chinese 12V pumps that work of your cigarette lighter will at least pump up a tyre one time.

[CelticRambler]

Just thinking, when was the last time you checked the tyre pressure of the spare?

Not recently enough. It's one of the reasons I need a new pump - it's too hard to get to the (under chassis) Ducato tyre when I'm doing an on-the-road check. At home, the recommended 5.5bar pressure in my tyres has a habit of overwhelming my weary Halfords machine's inner workings, so all I get is "well it was this many bars when you connected, but now it's less ..."

Saw the Scheppach 12/240V compressor in a different supermarket yesterday - 99€ Oof. But nothing in Lidl this evening.

[Hairy-Joe]

Just thinking, when was the last time you checked the tyre pressure of the spare?

Well I'm some idiot. I checked the pressures over the weekend and I forgot to check the spare. It just dawned on me.

[nlgbbbblth]

I keep a spare tyre and a 12V tyre inflator which works off the cigarette lighter. Between my Dad and myself, we've had the car 23 years and I think three punctures in total.